'W'y, wot's this?' he said. 'It's water!'

If the voice of trumpets had suddenly sounded about the ship in the

midst of the sea, the three men in the house could scarcely have been

more stunned than by this incident. The mug passed round; each sipped,

each smelt of it; each stared at the bottle in its glory of gold paper

as Crusoe may have stared at the footprint; and their minds were swift

to fix upon a common apprehension. The difference between a bottle of

champagne and a bottle of water is not great; between a shipload of one

or the other lay the whole scale from riches to ruin.

A second bottle was broached. There were two cases standing ready in a

stateroom; these two were brought out, broken open, and tested. Still

with the same result: the contents were still colourless and tasteless,

and dead as the rain in a beached fishing-boat.

'Crikey!' said Huish.

'Here, let's sample the hold!' said the captain, mopping his brow with

a back-handed sweep; and the three stalked out of the house, grim and

heavy-footed.

All hands were turned out; two Kanakas were sent below, another

stationed at a purchase; and Davis, axe in hand, took his place beside

the coamings.

The Ebb-Tide